White Ash vs Blue Ash
White and blue ashes are sometimes confused where their ranges overlap, due to a similar leaf shape, but they are easily distinguished at any time of year by the winged, square stem of the blue ash, a feature that white ash lacks.
White Ash (Fraxinus americana) | Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata) |
A tree species native to eastern North America, found on mesic sites in early to mid stages of forest succession. | A tree native to the midwest to central US, the blue ash is easily identified by its peculiar square stem. |
Twigs and small branches are round and lack wings. Photo © Charlie Inyo, CC BY 4.0. | Twigs and small branches are conspicuously square, with "wings" along the corners. Photo © askalotl, Public Domain. |